Family And Youth Facilitator

Family and Youth Facilitator  

Practicing Professional 2 

Are you passionate about contributing to the community? Are you interested in working for an organization that is committed to learning and growing, puts people at the centre of our work, believes in a culture of belonging and building on the strength of our community? 

Camino Wellbeing + Mental Health supports individuals, families, and communities as they work to strengthen their wellbeing and mental health. Our vision is to have a connected community where all people thrive.   

WHAT’S THE OPPORTUNITY? 

We are looking for an individual who is passionate about supporting children, youth and families and shows a strong desire to support and advocate for the 2SLGBTQIA+ population. As a Family and Youth Facilitator you will work collaboratively to support children, youth, and families both individually, through consultations, and facilitation of groups and workshops. The services will focus on education, introducing new perspectives and behaviours, building, and practicing skills and/or creating awareness and resilience with the people we serve through evidenced-based and evidence-informed practices and with a strong lens for supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ population.  This position requires an individual who brings energy and creativity to their work and involves teamwork within the Family and Youth facilitator team, internal Camino programs, and external community partners. If you have a passion for children and youth mental health and supporting the unique strengths and needs of the 2SLGBTQIA+ population, then this is the role for you! 

WHY WORK FOR US? 

 We are a new organization (a new entity formed from the unification of KW Counselling Services, Monica Place and Carizon) that serves Individuals, families, and communities within the Waterloo Region! We are excited about our work, the impact we have in the community and our people (our people are our superpower!).  We are committed to doing what is best for our community and to developing our people. 

Join us to: 

• Do work that matters.

• Be part of a caring, passionate, and collaborative workplace that lives its values.

• Learn a ton and support us in creating a more seamless experience for individuals, families and our community.

• Be a part of our diversity, equity, and inclusion journey.

• Put the people we serve at the centre of everything we do.

• Have a positive impact in our community.

• Work with an organization that supports your growth and provides opportunities for you to use your transferrable skills among other teams and programs.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING: 

• Facilitate development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative wellbeing programs that support children, youth and families.

• Provide consultation for youth, parents and caregivers to facilitate access to timely care, utilizing detailed and extensive knowledge of the issues facing the client, and acts as a “bridge” between the individual/family and services offered by community agencies that support children’s mental health needs.

• Support and advocate around issues of discrimination and inequality facing 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and its effects on mental health.

• Engages with the client’s social network and support system (e.g. friends, family, neighbors, volunteers, and peer groups) and identifies ways in which they can support the client.

• Work with staff and leadership to develop and promote safe and inclusive spaces and programs for staff and participants.

• Maintain knowledge of current best practices in supporting children and youth, ensuring that the program activities remain responsive to the needs of clients and community partners.

• Demonstrate flexibility and creativity in responding to clients needs.

• Identify and share trends and issues presented by participants and the community with the broader team and leadership.

• Identify potential partnership opportunities within the community in order to promote mental health and wellbeing for children and youth.

• Complete all required documentation and participant records according to program and organization expectations.

• Meet deadlines and manage multiple priorities, including the completion of individualized reports, & attending appointments with clients.

• Maintain monthly statistics and expenses.

• As part of the team, tracks progress against program plans and specific targets, deliverables, and activities and contributes reports as required.

• Maintain a high level of confidentiality for the protection of the participants.

• Represent the agency and maintain professional relationships with community agencies and participants.

• Promote a positive and professional image of Camino.

• Participate in client and program evaluations as required.

• Attend team meetings, department meetings and organizational events.

• Attend monthly supervision with manager or supervisor.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR: 

• Post-secondary education relevant to mental health and wellbeing (SSW, CYC, BSW, MSW)
• At least 3 years of experience supporting the mental health of children, youth and adults.
• Lived experience or exceptional knowledge/familiarity of 2SLGBTQIA+ is a very strong asset.
• A demonstrated commitment to equity, and experience supporting the wellbeing of 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
• Familiarity with an 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming, trauma-informed, sex positive, harm reduction approach an asset.
• Exemplary skills in youth engagement, program development, psychoeducational group facilitation with children, youth and families.
• Demonstrated mental health knowledge, including the effects of trauma on individuals and communities.
• Demonstrated skills in de-escalation and conflict management.
• Comfort with discussing topics such as: healthy relationships, self-harm and suicidal ideation, substance use, mental health, and discrimination/racism in group and individual settings.
• Knowledge and experience with professional boundaries related to this type of work.

ARE THERE BONUS POINTS? 

• Experience working with neurodivergent clients an asset.

ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW? 

• This is a full time 1 year contract position working 37.5 hours per week.
• This position will require work beyond 9-5 daytime work hours with evenings and some weekends as required.
• Work will take place in community settings throughout Waterloo Region and in the office.
• Frequent travel throughout the Waterloo Region
• Must be legally eligible to work in Canada.
• A police check for the vulnerable sector is required.
• Must be able to provide either proof of vaccination or documentation providing a satisfactory reason under the Ontario Human Rights Code for not being vaccinated.
• Wage: The hourly rate for this position is $25.77 - $36.38.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY  

As we continue to be responsive to the changing needs of our communities, we acknowledge the historical and present-day violence and systemic barriers that continue to harm members of our Region and that we must ask ourselves not if we are complicit, but how.  

Camino is committed to developing anti-oppressive practices and equitable outcomes for the families we serve while ensuring that our programs reflect and meet their needs. We recognize that we must work in collaboration with others to dismantle systems of oppression, discrimination, and violence that people face as a result of their diversity, beliefs and identities.  

Building equity takes time, resources, intentional commitment and behavioural change. It is an ongoing process, and we start by recognizing the racism and discrimination faced by Indigenous people, Black people, Asian communities, racialized people, ethnic or linguistic groups, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, unhoused people, people with mental illness and people with physical and intellectual disabilities.  

To help us create change and ensure that we can continue helping families thrive, Camino has invested in antiracism and anti-oppression training for all our employees. In addition, we have engaged in an organizational assessment to identify and address gaps. We have also created an Equity Leader position to help ensure our policies, processes, and practices eliminate any existence or influence of systemic racism across our organization.  

We have a lot of work to do, and we are committed to keep moving forward on this learning journey. We will continue to listen, learn, and take action to ensure that everyone at Camino experiences true equity, empowerment, and inclusion.